Posts Tagged ‘flooring’

Caring For Your Hardwood Floor

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

Hardwood floors make a beautiful, elegant addition to your home. They are lovely and lend a graceful ambience to any room. Unfortunately, many people don’t take care of their hardwood floors like they should. With some precautionary care, your hardwood floors will remain beautiful well into old age. If your floor is exposed to sun during the day, invest in sheer curtains, drapes, or blinds that will limit sunlight as UV rays can damage hardwood floors over time. Furniture glides are a great investment for your hardwood floor. They are small coverings, usually made of felt or another soft material, that are placed under the feet of furniture to prevent scratches. To ensure that dust and grit don’t get imbedded, clean the glides regularly.

Avoid wearing any kind of heel when walking on a wood floor, and make sure this rule is enforced for your guests and family members as well. Hells can leave tiny dents that may go unnoticed until the light hits them and you notice your beautiful smooth floor is now a speckled design of small dents. Area rugs are not only a nice way to decorate a hardwood floor; they are also a great way to save it from stains and spills. Place area rugs in general area that might be more prone to stains, like entrances from outside, below the stove and kitchen counters, in the bathroom, etc.

Avoid mopping except with a special dust mop or other wood-safe cleaning agent. Be careful not to over clean your hardwood floor because too much cleaning will dull the finish. Water is a hardwood floor’s greatest enemy, so avoid mopping with it at all. If you spill water or another liquid on your hardwood floor, blot it up immediately starting from the outside of the spill and working your way in.

Care for your hardwood floors as you would anything precious and valuable; treat them well by following the preventative measures above and your hardwood floors will stay safe, beautiful, and durable for years to come. The information was offered by a business coach who also helped people with immigration issues and window replacement.

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Choosing And Buying Inexpensive Laminated Flooring

Saturday, August 28th, 2010

A laminate floor is a composite floor with either a chipboard or HDF core, bonded to a film of wood-effect veneer and covered with a laminated surface. Although it may look like wood veneer flooring, it’s not. Most laminate floors feature a photographic representation of wood grain and, unlike wood veneers, laminates cannot be sanded or refurbished once it starts to show wear. In terms of aesthetic appeal, it’s hard to beat laminates or wood-look overlay floors. They offer great value, plus they’re warm underfoot, flexible and have their good looks last a long time. However, the wide range of laminate flooring available can be somewhat confusing ?to properly choose the right laminate flooring to buy, you need to understand what flooring will best suit your needs.

Whether you’re constructing a new house or just remodeling, laminate can offer unique, attractive flooring especially in high-traffic areas. And if you love how real hardwood looks but don’t like the high cost, laminate floors can provide the same look for a much lower price. The best thing about laminate floors is that they can be installed easily by the homeowner. Laminate floors were invented in Europe and are now a popular flooring choice for North American consumers who can choose from a huge assortment of manufacturers offering diverse styles and colors.

There are also some laminate floors that don’t require glue at all and simply snap together. Glueless installation makes laminate floors easy to install, with no professional assistance needed. Some brands come pre-glued from the factory and only require a little moisture to activate the adhesive.

Some of the most popular and affordable laminate flooring is made by Mohawk, Pergo, Mannington, Wilsonart, Armstrong, Shaw, Quick-Step, Witex and Alloc. Laminate flooring is widely available from retailers in your area, or you can search for flooring online. You can find great deals on the Internet, since many Internet dealers don’t have the same overhead expenses as local flooring retailers. The information was offered by a home improvement expert who’s also a professional at computer repair and buying kitchen appliances.

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Maintaining Marble Floors

Saturday, August 21st, 2010

If you are looking for the most elegant and refined flooring money can buy, then a polished marble floor is ideal. Whether it is for your home, a public building, a spa or hotel, floors made of natural materials like marble, granite and stone have a timeless beauty and are becoming the top choice for people who want both luxury and durability in their floor coverings. To protect this type of floor looking great over time though, it is essential that you keep it in the best possible condition.

There are many things that will remove the shine from a marble floor including scuffs and scratches, soil, marks, and spills. All of these things can leave your marble floor looking dull and worn. Over time even regular polishing and buffing, which are good temporary measure and protect the floor for a time can not keep all the damage under control. After the original shine on the marble has been scuffed or scratched further damage is inevitable. Once there are porous areas created in the surface of the marble by scratches spills can lead to stains. Once this occurs professional restoration is the only long term solution to keep your marble floors looking like new.

You paid a lot of money for these stunning floors, and your investment calls for taking the necessary steps to protect your floors from future damage. After all, you paid for the smooth, reflective marble surface that will leave visitors breathless. And the cost of cleaning, polishing and restoring your floor is next to nothing when compared to the price you would pay for replacing it.

One affordable way to clean marble floors is to use spray buffing. This method removes dirt and applies a layer of polish without using water. Polish is an effective sealant that keeps the porous marble for absorbing liquid spills and stains. While you may wish to try to clean the marble floors yourself, it is not recommended. An experienced cleaning company is advised. While buffing takes a bit of knowledge and technique, marble floor restoration take a great deal of knowledge and experience to do properly.

A floor restoration expert will do much more than simply treat the surface and leave it at that. The professional process involves thoroughly cleaning the room, then fusing the top layer of stone together, restoring the original glassy appearance and giving the surface a dazzling sheen. The expert floor restorers will set up a schedule for regular maintenance to ensure that the stone retains its condition for many years.

Learn More : Floor Restoration

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Underground Room Floor Coverings – Building Material Issues

Friday, August 20th, 2010

Developing and fitting out a cellar presents construction challenges because of the main dilemma: normal water. Basements attract moisture and are threatened constantly by leaks simply because of being below ground level. In areas where the mineral water table is higher, a cellar may effectively be especially prone to flooding as well as the effect of normal water, which experts claim will promote fungus growth and unsafe, unhealthy and unsightly conditions.

Some resources must be avoided when building or renovating a basement improvement simply because they are susceptible to attack by h2o. Nothing requirements greater attention than the resources you use to construct the cellar floor mainly because this really is at the deepest and most threatened degree of the whole property.

Basement floors are a focal point for moisture despite the efforts to guard the room. It seems sensible and is finest practice to keep away from utilizing particular components in constructing your basement floor. Wood is an obvious selection for numerous floors, nevertheless even when it’s treated for moisture and normal water resistance and no matter how properly it is maintained, wood will eventually succumb for the adverse effects of normal water.

You should also avoid using carpet or carpeting tile to cover the floor due to the fact once again, carpet will attract and retain normal water and is very easily damaged. It is also a breeding ground for fungus which will create a health hazard too.

Porous or delicate ceramic tile really should be avoided due to the fact this will absorb and retain moisture which will also provide a breeding ground for mildew and mold.

Basement floors obviously need to consider the aesthetics even though combating and preventing harm by water. Concrete floors can supply an efficient mineral water barrier, in particular when treated and sealed as well as carrying anti-fungicidal preservatives to guarantee mildew and mold don’t find a household, nevertheless, bare concrete is hardly a warm, comfort-stirring material to appear at and walk on.

Slate is usually a great material for constructing laminate flooring (and walls) since it’s a fully natural item. It provides color variation between olive green and light brown, having a wide range in texture and granular look such that no two slate tiles are going to be identical. Slate can be totally normal water proof and impermeable, plus it gives no natural habitat or food source for mildew and mold. Also, when it does become wet, slate is really a non-slip surface which adds to the safety factor.

Challenging or non-porous ceramic tile can be suitable for use in cellar flooring. It’s challenging wearing and fairly uncomplicated to install, and provided it really is non-porous, it supplies a good water barrier. Ceramic tile also comes in a extremely broad range of colors and styles because it is man-made and can successfully customize your cellar decorations and style. Ceramic tile does have a disadvantage in that it will grow to be slick and hazardous when wet.

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How To Select Area Rugs

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

With so many choices in the types of area rugs that one can buy, how can you decide which one will work best for you? If you need help choosing, the ideas in this article will help you make the right decision when choosing a rug for the home.

The first thing on your list, before making plans for the rug itself, you must determine how much traffic the location of the rug will get.

An ideal type of rug for a high-traffic area is one of high quality and durability. If you are deciding on a low-traffic area you can choose a rug that is more your style without having to worry too much about the quality of the rug.

Ask yourself, “Is the rug going to be the focal point of the room?” Opt for a rug that has a design or pattern on it, in order to call attention to it, if you decide on making it the focal point of the room. Conversely, choose a rug with a plain color or a simple design if your area rug is simply going to be in the background.

There are other things you have to take into consideration if you have pets or children. Having pets means that they can really do damage to the area rug, especially if they decide to make it their home. Take into consideration a stain resistant rug if you have children or pets.

Make sure to determine your budget before you even begin the process of shopping for a rug. Rugs also have a huge variety when it comes to price ranges, and it wouldn’t be good to overspend on a simple area rug. Depending on the type of rug you want, or the quality of the rug, you can be set back anywhere from fifty to a few thousand dollars.
You should think about choosing a synthetic rug if you are on a tighter budget. You can tell if an area rug is synthetic by looking at the back of the rug. If the fibers are punched through like a carpet instead of hand-knotted then the rug is synthetic.

While a synthetic rug won’t last you as long as a wool rug, they are a lot less expensive. If your rugs have to get replaced every other year, you can do so without having to spend that much money on your new rug.

Make sure to leave room between the rug and walls when deciding on how large the rug will be. The last thing you want is an area rug that extends right room’s walls. Your rug should have space between itself and the walls instead.

Take the dining room table for example, if you want a rug under it choose one that is about 4-5 inches larger, than the table itself, on each side. By doing this you will ensure that you have enough room for your chairs and you’ll keep an even border around the walls too.

If you know what to look for, an area rug can be a beautiful addition to any home.

Avo Barsoumian has been part of the interior decorating and home flooring community for the past 25 years. He owns and operates a home flooring company in Pasadena. The carry the best in elegant hardwood flooring, beautiful laminate flooring and plush carpeting. It doesn’t matter whether your searching for price of carpeting for your new condo or hardwood pine flooring to redecorate your older house then Carpet Wagon has exactly what you’re looking for.

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Tips For Buying Hardwood Floors

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

One of the most popular features that new buyers look for in a home is hardwood floors. Though it’s true that there are many people looking for hardwood floors, this doesn’t leave them without faults, there are still pros and cons to having hardwood floors.

From different makes of wood to different patterns and installations, there is variety when it comes to the types of hardwood floors that are to be had. You can even choose the exact stain you want for your hardwood floor if you come in contact with unfinished hardwood flooring planks, they’ll keep you from having to choose a pre-made color. As you decide on whether or not to get hardwood flooring, you must look at all the pros and cons that come with it.

Pros of Hardwood Floors
The look of hardwood floors is one of its biggest pros. Hardwood flooring is very beautiful and more attractive than carpet or tile, and almost every homeowner can agree with that. You can choose from many types of different woods as mentioned; you can go from cherry to oak and even bamboo.

Hardwood flooring, being neutral, makes it really easy to match your flooring with your furniture. You can also sleep easy knowing that redecorating a room is much easier with hardwood floors since it will match most styles unlike some carpets and tiles that only go with certain themes and style.

You also have the advantage of a low maintenance floor when it comes to cleaning. Sweeping the floor with a duster every few days or a simple vacuuming is all that you need to keep them clean. About once a month take a wood cleaner to the floor, this will aid in keeping the floor’s shine. Hardwood floors are also easier on people with allergies, they don’t collect as much dust and dirt, so they’re cleaner and help reduce allergies in the home.

Selling your home with mostly hardwood flooring instead of carpet can actually make selling your home easier. Since hardwood floors are considered an upgrade by most builders and contractors, your home can go up in price simply because you have hardwood floors.

Cons of Hardwood Floors
When it comes to hardwood flooring the price is a huge disadvantage. Real hardwood flooring can be demanding on the wallet. You might even have to call a contractor to install it if you don’t know how, which can cost you a lot more money.

Having pets in means having to think twice about hardwood flooring. The claws of a cat or dog can easily scratch the floor. Nothing is worse than having your pets scratch your hardwood floors. High heel are also something to be careful with because then can also dent, as well as scratch the hardwood floor.

You may find that that hardwood flooring is much colder than carpet if your hardwood floor is on the ground level of the home and your house is on a slab. This is something to think about if you live in a place where you have really cold winter months. You can trade in the beauty of the hardwood floor for a bit by placing rugs over it to work around this though.

Lastly, hardwood flooring should really be thought about if you have babies or small children that will play on it. Babies learning to walk fall easily, and they might get a little hurt on the tougher hardwood floor and it’s a little tougher on babies that are crawling as well.

Just as there are ups and downs to other types of flooring, hardwood has its pros and cons. At the end of the day, the homeowner has to make a decision based on what they feel is the best choice for their home.

Avo Barsoumian has been in the flooring and interior design industry for over 25 years. He owns and operates a home flooring company in Pasadena. The offer the largest selection of elegant hardwood flooring, beautiful laminate flooring and plush carpeting under one roof. So whether you’re looking for wood flooring manufacturers for your new condo or quality carpets to makeover your older home then Carpet Wagon carries everything you need.

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Home Improvement-Painting Tips For Concrete Floors

Friday, August 13th, 2010

Many garages or basement have concrete flooring. The beauty of concrete is that you can easily paint it as compared to other more expensive treatments. You paint your concrete floors not only for aesthetic purposes but also for practical reasons as it makes the floor easier to clean and more durable in the long run. If you paint it correctly, your floor will be able to last for years.

Where to Start:

This is not a very expensive home remodeling project but it is one that is more than an overnight project. First, you have to make sure that your floor is absolutely dry prior to starting your painting project. If you notice wet spots, especially from the basement, it is better to consult a professional first to fix that seepage problem.  

Once you have determined that your floor is and will remain completely dry you will need to scrub your concrete to be sure that there is no residue of any chemicals, like grease on the floor. This is important especially if the floor you wish to paint on is your garage or shop area. This is critical because the paint would not be able to cling completely if there are any foreign materials present. 

Eliminating that grease off the floor is essential and some kitty litter would be very useful in cleaning some of it. Next step is to scrub the floor with the use of Goof Off and then rinse it after wards. After wards, scrub the floor with the use of some TSP mixture; rinse and repeat several times until the mop looks clean after rinsing. After about three days of drying, the floor is now primed for painting.

Additional prepping necessary prior to painting:

Using a sander or an 80-grit paper, remove any stuck materials on the surface of the floor and smooth out the bumpy portions. A tack clothe would also be helpful in removing some residue from the sanding that the vacuum could miss.  

Look for and fix any cracks that might be present. Use Cement Fix-all to plug these cracks or little holes and be sure to let it dry thoroughly. 

Now you are finally ready to start painting!

First, you will need two applications of stain blocker and a primer like Kilz. These applications must dry completely in between applications. Now you can apply a top quality latex flat paint. A paint compressor or a roller will work fine for the painting. 

Decorating your painted floor:

As a matter of personal preference you may want to make some geometric shapes or use faux stone or whatever you would like. You may let your creative juices flowing at this point, just be sure to let the floor dry thoroughly before finishing.  

Best finish for your painted concrete flooring:

Using a quarter-inch nap roller, finish your painted concrete floor with two applications of Breakthrough sealer. To be safe, wear a respirator mask when doing this as fumes are sure to be present during this process. Then, of course, let it dry thoroughly.

Now your new concrete floor is done. You may decorate it with some throw rugs or an area rug for some flourish as it is still concrete after all. Only difference is that you may now proudly claim that it’s already a beautiful concrete!

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Benefits Of Laminate Wood Flooring

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

Over the past few years laminate floors have really started to become popular, especially in homes with children. There are a number of reasons for this. One, laminate flooring is less expensive than traditional hardwood flooring. Two, it is very easy to clean and maintain. For couples with children, laminate flooring is generally a much better choice than hardwood. Most laminate flooring is tongue and groove, meaning there is no glue or nailing, each plank simply locks together. This makes installation a breeze and it also means it will be easier to remove the floor should the need arise. Not all laminate floors are glueless, but it is worth the extra money to save time and effort. Here are some of the more common laminate floor manufacturers: Pergo, Wilsonart, Mannington, Mohawk, Shaw, Quick-Step, Armstrong, and Alloc.

You may ask how the look of laminate flooring compares to that of real hardwood. Good question. Laminate floor manufacturers use high rnd, computerized technology to create realistic wood designs in each plank. The top wear layer is very durable and easy to maintain. Laminate flooring is also impervious to most stains, spills, burns and it is highly scratch resistant.

Care of laminate floors is also easy. Usually all you need is a dry mop or vacuum to keep them looking new. You don’t need or want to use soaps, abrasives, polishes, wax, or one step floor cleaners on your laminate. You also want to make sure not to slide furniture across your floor, laminate is tough but a sofa leg will gouge your floor. It doesn’t hurt to put furniture pads on the legs of sofas, tables or anything else that could scratch your floor.

As with any wood flooring some maintenance is required, said a lawyer in Auckland. But overall laminate wood flooring is easier to care for and will last longer than most other types of hardwood flooring, said one of the roofing contractors who knew solar water heatng like the back of his hand.

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Choosing And Buying Inexpensive Laminated Flooring

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

A laminate floor is a composite floor with either a chipboard or HDF core, bonded to a film of wood-effect veneer and covered with a laminated surface. Although it may look like wood veneer flooring, it’s not. Most laminate floors feature a photographic representation of wood grain and, unlike wood veneers, laminates cannot be sanded or refurbished once it starts to show wear. In terms of aesthetic appeal, it’s hard to beat laminates or wood-look overlay floors. They offer great value, plus they’re warm underfoot, flexible and have their good looks last a long time. However, the wide range of laminate flooring available can be somewhat confusing ?to properly choose the right laminate flooring to buy, you need to understand what flooring will best suit your needs.

Whether you’re constructing a new house or just remodeling, laminate can offer unique, attractive flooring especially in high-traffic areas. And if you love how real hardwood looks but don’t like the high cost, laminate floors can provide the same look for a much lower price. The best thing about laminate floors is that they can be installed easily by the homeowner. Laminate floors were invented in Europe and are now a popular flooring choice for North American consumers who can choose from a huge assortment of manufacturers offering diverse styles and colors.

There are also some laminate floors that don’t require glue at all and simply snap together. Glueless installation makes laminate floors easy to install, with no professional assistance needed. Some brands come pre-glued from the factory and only require a little moisture to activate the adhesive.

Some of the most popular and affordable laminate flooring is made by Mohawk, Pergo, Mannington, Wilsonart, Armstrong, Shaw, Quick-Step, Witex and Alloc. Laminate flooring is widely available from retailers in your area, or you can search for flooring online. You can find great deals on the Internet, since many Internet dealers don’t have the same overhead expenses as local flooring retailers. The information was offered by a home improvement expert who’s also a professional at computer repair and buying kitchen appliances.

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Benefits Of Cork Flooring

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

Cork flooring offers several outstanding benefits to homeowner looking for something new and exciting in their home. The durability of cork flooring is appealing to most homeowners. High heels and furniture can do no damage! Cork flooring tiles are typically protected with a durable environmentally friendly urethane containing no formaldehyde. When cork is subjected to pressure, the gas in the cells is compressed and volume reduces considerably. When released from pressure, cork recovers very rapidly to its original shape. Cork is remarkably resistant to wear, as it is less affected by impact and friction than other hard surfaces because of its cellular composition.

Natural cork is a fire inhibitor, not spreading the flame. Cork also does not release any toxic gases on combustion. Another major benefit is the fact that cork is antimicrobial and insect repellant. Even termites are unwelcome. The suberin, the inherent substance of cork, is a natural insect repellent

Perhaps the most valuable asset of cork flooring is the ease of maintenance. Today, waxing is no longer needed. Sweeping and mopping will be the usual maintenance. A few years down the road when the finish starts to wear off, lightly sand the floor and reapply a new coat of urethane. Your floor will last for several decades. The floors vary in quality, colors and sizes. There’re many different kinds of flooring out there, varying in different prices as well. In terms of durability, price and the match with your home, the author who used to be a building inspector recommended the cork flooring which definitely offers several outstanding benefits to the purchasers. The author has now started his online business trading in car rentals and car insurance. Years of experience in cork flooring has enabled him to give some professional advice on flooring. If you want some help, you can turn to him.

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